Engineering Inc. - July/August 2003 - 12

 I've never been a big fan of the government doing any more than it had to
do. A lot of the activities and services the government does could be done
in the private sector. Congressman John Boehner working with our friends in
the continued to slow. Then we had OSHA enforcement efforts are math and
science teachers in the Senate to move the bill there. September 11. I
think the tax under taken in an evenhanded classrooms where they can teach
c u t s in each of the last three manner that promotes fairness t o m o r r
ow's workers the skills RAYMOND: Science and math years have minimized the
effect for small business owners who they will need to compete. education
are of particular inter- o f the downturn, and should are making good
faith efforts to Also, Representative Vernon est to our industry, as
effective help us accelerate ourselves out c o m p l y with all health and
Ehlers R-Mich. , recently added education programs at the pri- of this
recession. The money we safety laws. a provision to the legislation m a r
y, secondary and college l e a v e in the private sector is reauthorizing
the Head Start pro- RAYMOND: What is your prog- l e ve l help to prepare
the next l i k e l y to multiply and create gram that would ensure that
even g e n e r a t i o n of engineers. C a n nosis on the economy? more
jobs than going out and at the earliest stages of education, you give us
an update on your doing more government spend- our youngsters are equipped
with B O E H N E R : I 'm feeling pretty efforts to improve math and sci-
ing. And trust me, we're doing t h e early math skills that can ence
education? good about it. I think the basics plenty of government
spending. prove critical for later success in are there. The tax bill
gives peo- these subject areas. BOEHNER: I could not agree RAYMOND: You
have a mission ple reasons to invest, with incen- F L I C K E R : I n
addition to the more. Preparing the workforce statement in your office
about tives to invest now as opposed to FLSA reforms and AHPs, what of
tomorrow starts in the class- returning power and resources later. The
increase in the market other workplace reforms are you ro o m s of today.
In particular, to the people. Some government t h a t we've seen this year
also working on that are of interest the subject areas of math and a g e n
c i e s do a lot of in-house gives people a more comfortable to the
engineering industry? science are of the highest impor- engineering, which
we'd like to feeling. As I go around my dis- t a n c e as we enter the
knowl- do in the private sector. Also we t r i c t and around the country,
BOEHNER: One issue that you edge-based economy of the 21st compete with
some government people are pretty optimistic. may find of interest is our
efforts C e n t u r y. We can no longer a g e n c i e s for the same
clients. to help small business owners F L I C K E R : W h a t about the
tax depend on unskilled workers as W h a t is your thought about c o m p l
y with complex regula- legislation? Where do you stand t h e backbone of
industry. government competition with tions put in place by the Occu- as
far as those who say that we're Knowledge-based trades, such as the
private sector? p a t i o n a l Safety and Health adding a great deal of
indebted- engineering, will replace manu- BOEHNER: I've never been a big A
d m i n i s t r a t i o n OSHA . We ness to the nation and we aren't f a c
t u r i n g as the basis of our f a n of the government doing strongly
believe that employers spending enough on the spend- economy and, I
believe, we must any more than it had to do. A w h o are making good faith
ing side? equip students with the knowl- lot of the activities and services
efforts to comply with OSHA edge and skills they will need to standards
deserve to be treated BOEHNER: The President inher- the government does
could be thrive in this new economy. done in the private sector. f a i r l
y and have their day in ited a slowing economy and it Our committee [House
Com- court. m i t t e e on Education and the We are serious Wo r k f o r c
e ] is embracing this a b o u t promoting challenge as we move forward
workplace safety and w i t h reauthorization of the re d u c i n g
workplace Hi g h e r Education Act. That's i n j u r i e s and illness, w
h y we are seeking to infuse but also we must rec- p o s t s e c o n d a r
y education with o g n i z e that safe a c c o u n t a b i l i t y, to
ensure that w o rk i n g conditions s t u d e n t s are being equipped i n
this country are with the skills and knowledge p r i m a r i l y the result
they will need to succeed in the of efforts by employ- new century. ers and
em-ployees, In addition, that's why our not arbitrary OSHA c o m m i t t e
e is moving forward e n f o r c e m e n t . This w i t h H.R. 438, the
Teacher measure, the Occu- Recruitment and Retention Act, F O R R E S T
MACCORMACK ACEC Chairman Eric Flicker left , Rep. p a t i o n a l Safety
and which was introduced by Repre- Boehner center , and ACEC President
Health Fairness Act sentative Joe Wilson R-S.C. . Dave Raymond discuss
FLSA reforms H . R . 1538 , will T h i s bill will go a long way inside
the committee room. h e l p ensure that toward placing highly qualified l
August 2003 1 2 E N G I N E E R I N G INC. J u l y
Engineering Inc. - July/August 2003

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - July/August 2003
